The Confucius Institute at WKU will host “An Oriental Monsoon,” performed by Hangzhou Normal University’s Student Troupe, on Feb. 8.
The 2014 Spring Festival Gala will take place at Van Meter Hall; doors open at 6pm with the performance at 6.30pm. Admission is free and open to the public.
The troupe will present 11 different acts that will showcase and share traditional Chinese song, dance, opera, martial arts and music.
The Confucius Institute at WKU is one of four sites that will host the student troupe from Hangzhou. After the performance at WKU, the group will perform at the University of Memphis, Middle Tennessee State University and University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
The troupe is an “Oriental Monsoon,” coming from China, where people believe in harmonious coexistence and the power of music and dance in promoting mutual understanding and lasting empathy. They are an “Oriental Monsoon,” coming from Hangzhou Normal University, whose culture once nourished Li Shutong, a great master of art, who helped launch western music education in China by fusing the spirit of classic Chinese with the rhythm of modern dance. They are an “Oriental Monsoon,” with the invitation of the Confucius Institutes, that will come across the great Pacific Ocean and set foot on the great American continent, with the hope that the performances will precipitate a joyful rainfall that will further promote understanding, friendship and fraternity between Chinese and American people.
Hangzhou Normal University, founded in 1908, has a rich history with a tradition of producing first-rate teachers, educators and students at different levels for the whole Chinese nation. Through a century of development, the university has become a comprehensive university of higher education with a full spectrum of disciplines. The university offers a doctorate program, 80 graduate programs and 60 undergraduate programs conducted in its two facilities and 19 schools, providing educational needs to over 20,000, full-time undergraduate students, 1,600 graduate students, which will enable them to build a future of professional, intellectual and personal success, capable of leadership in specialized areas.
The CI at WKU and Hanban, China’s Ministry of Education, work to promote understanding of the Chinese language and culture through children’s programming, training courses, cultural workshops and community events. Together, these organizations have Introduced fully articulated K-16 instruction in Modern Standard Chinese into local school systems, serve as a regional center for Chinese teacher training and Chinese curriculum development, and build connections and partnerships between Kentucky and China.
For information about the CI at WKU, visit www.wku.edu/ci.
Contact: Betty Yu, (270) 745-2836; or Terrill Martin, (270) 745-2530.
(Source: WKU News, Jan 29, 2014)
